Friday

May 18, 2018 at 2:00 AM

Kudos to the staff associated with Erie Mayor Joe Schember's new citizen helpline. I called to report a mishap on my property made by a contractor doing work for the city. The matter was looked into and completely corrected within a matter of three hours! Throughout that time, I was contacted several times with updates. I was very pleased to have the matter resolved so quickly and professionally. Thanks for a job well done.

— Trina Sabetti, Erie

Albright's warning about

Putin worth consideration

Scott R. Harrington wrote on May 2 that Russia and Vladimir Putin embody ancient Christian values. He claimed that Putin is an example of faith for the West.

If so, they badly need a reformation.

Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright says in her recent book "Fascism — a Warning":

"Vladimir Putin pledges no allegiance to the democratic articles of faith, but he does not explicitly renounce democracy. He disdains Western values while professing to identify with the West. He doesn't care what the State Department puts in next year's human rights report, because he has yet to pay a political price in his own country for the sins reported in prior years. He tells bald lies with a straight face, and when guilty of aggression, blames the victim. He has convinced many, apparently including the American president, that he is a master strategist, a man of strength and will. Confined to Russia, these facts would be sobering, but Putin, like Mussolini nine decades ago, is watched carefully in other regions by leaders who are tempted to follow in his footsteps. Some already are."

And it would be good to remember Sinclair Lewis when he claimed many years ago that when "fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in a flag and carrying a cross."

— Rev. Charles Brock, Erie

Black men's treatment at

Starbucks was overblown

An incident occurred in a well-known coffee shop, receiving, in the opinion of many, undue national attention. A simple situation was magnified on every level by the overreaction of all of those directly and indirectly involved.

Our story begins with two gentlemen reporting for a meeting. As there was no apparent permission from the establishment to hold a meeting there, along with their declining to make a purchase, they were deemed as loiterers and approached by the employee in charge. The manager on duty overreacted. Instead of showing some empathy and explaining company policy, this individual chose to prematurely alert the police.

Upon arriving on the scene, this should have been verbally defused, yet somehow it escalated into the physical removal of the individuals. This allegedly constituted the next overreaction. Enter the customer who photographed some of the incident and posted it on social media crying foul and assuming injustice. This in turn churned up the waters in the shallow end of the social media pool, thus awakening and enraging the bottom-feeders with a fresh piece of red meat. Hearing and viewing a snippet of this, they assumed the posture of expert witnesses.

Last but not least, we have the national news media that sought the opportunity to spin a tale into that of social injustice and racial inequality, thereby spawning outrage and unwarranted conversations unrelated to the actual series of events, serving only to divide and not unite. Objects in the mirror can be distorted when magnified.

— Alan Ahlgren, Erie

Criminal charges should

trigger council ouster

When traveling, I hear the same things about our hometown (snowstorms, mini-baseball bats, pizza bomber, mistake on the lake, dreary Erie, etc.). My wife and I grew up here, got our educations, raised our family and started our business here. We love Erie.

What message does Sonya Arrington being allowed to stay on Erie City Council send to potential entrepreneurs in Erie? Like it or not she represents our government. Does City Council want people to create jobs here? It doesn’t seem so. Enough is enough. Move forward. Erie doesn’t need another distraction.

Hopefully, the national press will focus on what Erie does well instead of laughing at us. Furthermore, I’m ashamed of my Democratic Party. Why would anyone on council defend Arrington except because of outdated politics? One of the council members is even running for state representative. How does he expect us to believe he can change things in Harrisburg when he doesn’t do anything in Erie?

There is a blue wave coming in November and I hope the "old boys club" Democrats are left in the dust. I cannot imagine the pain Arrington felt after her son died, however grief is no excuse for criminal activity. It is time for council to make a law to remove a member of council if he or she is charged with a crime.

— Jason Lavery, Erie

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